Mumsnet users hare with Trainline their top tips for travelling by train

[EllieMumsnet]

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Travelling on the train with your family for a day out, especially if you have little ones, can feel like a daunting experience, but it doesn’t have to be; the train journey can be an exciting part of the day out adventure for you and your DC’s and not just a way to get there. To help make sure this is the case for you and your family, Trainline would like you to share your top tips for travelling by train on family days out.

Here’s what Trainline have to say: “We’re always trying to make travel simple, giving our customers information they can count on. And planning a day out with the kids is one scenario where the simpler and more predictable the better. As it’s winter we’ve been thinking about the best ways to get out the house for some fresh air, without breaking your budget. We’ve come up with some “wild” train trips to zoos and animal parks across the UK which are perfect for letting off some steam (for you and your DC’s!).”

Do you research the stations that are on your journey beforehand so you can tell your DC’s fun facts about them? Do you use mobile tickets? Perhaps you pack a great picnic full of their favourite foods to keep everyone happy? Maybe you pack fun, entertaining games to play on the journey? Or do you keep them distracted by talking about all the things you’re going to get up to you on your day out?

Whatever your top tips are, please share them on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where on MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

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We use the Trainline app to make booking tickets & planning our journey easier - no need to remember paper tickets on the day!
For the journey - we pack a rucksack with snacks & drinks, sticker books & activity books. A kids quiz book helps pass the time, as does a game of Top Trumps! We also play train bingo - first to fill their card with items that can be spotted along the way.. cows, sheep, a yellow car, a river, etc.

For longer journeys, Usborne sticker books are fab and then you don't need to be hauling around crayons, pens etc.

Take plenty of snacks and drinks. Also take things to entertain like tablets, colouring books and board games if it's a long journey.

Plan a picnic and include some games for a really long journey

We love travelling by train and it's always per of the adventure. We print out DS a map of the route so that he can follow along the journey and see how far we've got to go to our destination. We've had a few comments on what a good idea it is from the rail staff. He also always have their own ticket (even though he's not old enough) to give to the guard!

We don’t have a car, so we go by train a lot. We always split the journey into chunks of 1-2 hours (which is how long DD can cope being well-behaved before she needs to stretch her legs), by planning our route and/or putting extra changes in.

My rules, so to speak, for booking train tickets with the DC is -
Reserve a table
Travel off peak so it's not as busy
Make sure it's a time that DC aren't going to be tired

buy your tickets in advance

We live in London and get trains several times a week, also travel on longer journeys for family days out. We have one baby, an 8 month old. Here's my tips...

• Ideally use a compact, lightweight pushchair if you can. We have the Babyzen Yoyo which has been amazing for public transport, both in newborn pram mode and pushchair mode.
• I try to get on the disabled carriage as these have lots of space in which to park the pushchair. Obviously you must move the pushchair out of this space if there is a wheelchair user. I then leave baby in the pushchair if it's a shorter journey (and fold pushchair and get a seat if it's a longer one).
• Sit by window - our baby will be entertained for quite a long time just watching the world whizz by.
• Research the stations - to find out if they have step free access if you are taking a pushchair. You can always carry pushchairs up the stairs if there's two of you, but I'm often on my own so try to make sure I use stations with a lift. However you do normally find there's someone willing to help you if you do end up in a station with steps only without a companion!
• Make sure you have plenty of food/drink with you. You don't want baby getting hungry on the train home as you ended up being out longer than you had anticipated!

Lots of snacks, tablet for distractions, ispy games!

Depending on length of journey we used to bring out a new item each half hour. Tiny tube of play dog, pencils and colouring or wordsearches, uno or dobble. Now they're older they love the excuse for allowed, uninterrupted screen time 🤣.
Small snacks and drinks but also allow them £2 each on a longer journey to choose a treat from the buffet car/trolley. They enjoy the novelty!

I always double check for a live travel update before we travel to minimise standing around on platforms or having to make last minute changes to our journey which can be a big panic.
Handbag-suitable snacks for the way home along with wipes as travelling can get quite grubby. I don't take drinks because they are heavy and bulky to carry so I just put the cost of buying them while we are out onto the budget for outing.
I am getting reduced fare cards sorted out for the children so that we get a discount on full fare prices which will really make a difference.
Books and chat are usually all we need as we don't take journeys longer than an hour or so. There is usually loads to see and talk about ( not other passengers, though! )

We don’t tend to use the train much as it’s so expensive and it’s generally cheaper to take the car (and more convenient if you’re carrying luggage or off on a big shopping trip!). If we do take a trip just looking out the window to spot bridges is normally enough to keep our small person amused!

We buy our tickets online and take lots of snacks :)

Plan everything in advance (journey/route wise); take your own drinks - we take refillable bottles for water and the little squeezy squash bottles to add flavour; have some ‘entertainment for the journey such as Top Trumps, puzzle books, but nothing too heavy. If you’re travelling by train, go to the loo before getting off at your station to avoid the 40p they charge at some
Stations!!

Never take more than you need. Be prepared. Eat well before you go. Take plenty of water and avoid those hip-building snacks!

we use mobile tickets but don't research stations..we pack drawing stuff and food! a must with 4 under 7... also make up a 'can you find' chart. kids have to try and find everything on the list by the time we get to our destination

My daughter loves going by train and it is a real treat. We normally take a picnic in the back-pack to save money. She is 7 so likes to have her own ticket in her own little purse (not an item to take your eye off!) I often print out an eye-spy off the computer to do looking out of the window. Some coloring, a card game (Dobble always a hit in our house) and maybe a magazine and we are good for a couple of hours. I would suggest a backpack to carry everything in so you have your hands free. There is nothing worse than juggling bags and kids without enough hands!

Buy a friends and family railcard and use it to book tickets in advance - sign up for the ticket window e-alerts so you know when the cheapest tickets will be released.

Always book a seat for a child no matter what age.

Try to pack into squidgy bags so that they will fit above your heads/under your seat and not at the ends of carriages.

This is no time to be worried about the evils of screens - plug them in with good over-the-ear headphones, then noone will hear their games and they won't hear anyone else swearing or shouting near them.

If you are massively delayed on a Virgin train they actually have generous refund policies but to use them you need to keep all the tickets so if you have been delayed don't put them in the barriers at your destination.

And my top tip - mini babybels.

A miniature bottle of wine with your picnic on an evening journey makes it feel like first class.

Wine obviously only for the grownups.

Buy the tickets online as soon as you have planned the day out to ensure the cheapest deal. Take a picnic with plenty of drinks in a wheelie shopping trolley to save lugging heavy stuff around. Also good for carrying any coats or jumpers in the event of warmer/drier weather than expected!

Something to read, drink and eat. After those are exhausted a very small toy and mum's phone!

I took my then 4 year old on a 3 week train tour around Europe in the summer (just us two). My recommendations would be Uno, a map to follow, going to the buffet car/restaurant and books to read to them. It was actually a complete joy, though I wasn't sure about it until we got going.

I make sure I have a goodie bag for each of them with things they haven't seen before. Only small, inexpensive things like a blind bag, activity book, card game, stickers. They love it and often enjoy the journey more than the day out!!